Smuggled fertilizer for Planting for Food and Jobs impounded in Upper East Region

Two trucks, with each loaded with 2,000 bags of fertilizer meant for government’s flagship program ‘Planting for Food and Jobs’ were impounded in Paga in the Upper East Region on Sunday.

Each of the trucks carried 2, 000 pieces of 25 kilogram bags of the fertilizer meant for distribution to farmers in Navrongo which were about to be smuggled out of the country.

The two trucks have registration numbers AS 7300 V and GT 3181 J.

Briefing the media, Upper East Regional Minister, Paulina Patience Abayage said the police have detained drivers of the trucks to assist in investigations.

“They got to Navrongo and they went further to Paga but for the vigilance of the security agencies, these two trucks would have cross the border to Burkina Faso and beyond. Last year, we had some of our fertilizer [smuggled] all the way to Cameroun”, she said.

The Regional Minister regretted that the fertilizer which is subsidized by government to alleviate the plight of Ghanaian farmers was being smuggled out of the country.

“This government is spending so much to make sure we get this fertilizer at 50 percent subsidy for our poor farmers. And one person or a group of people, out of their own selfishness and greed, decides to hold this country to ransom and sabotage us economically”

She added that the impounded fertilizer will be distributed to poor farmers in the region and at no cost.

Madam Abayage cautioned that “nobody across the entire country should make an attempt to do anything wrong with the process concerning the fertilizer”

Upper East Regional Director of Department of Agriculture, Francis Ennor applauded the security services in the region for a timely intervention in ensuring the fertilizer was not smuggled out of the country.